Narratives of Difference: How newspapers reproduce new racism

This book presents an examination of the changing contexts of discourses of immigration. Using a critical discourse analysis it evaluates the perceptions and representations of migrants within both national and local newspapers. The author argues that discourses within the texts act upon create and uphold ‘narratives of difference’ and that the language used plays a part in producing and reproducing social inequalities that are linked to the lives of migrants in the UK. In addition online reader comment boxes are also examined such commentary boxes are made available at the end of most online newspaper stories they provide the readers an opportunity to present their own opinion of a particular news story or report. The author maintains that the reader comment boxes often reflect the sentiment of the main story and as such they reinforce new racism; and that they also play a part in perpetuating and reproducing ‘narratives of difference’.